


Looking For Flowers

by Kalua



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: (At least I cried writing and editing it though that doesn't say much it's easy to make me cry), (I need Streli back okay), Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Sad, Short Chapters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-05-14 07:49:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19268884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalua/pseuds/Kalua
Summary: Now that he has his Heart and his memories back, there is one more thing Lauriam needs to do: Bring his sister back to this world.





	1. Wilted

“Please, Sora. Are you sure you can’t teach me?”

“Sorry, Marluxia. I don’t even really know how it works, either, I just used it.”

Lauriam suppressed a sigh. “I know, you already told me that. But maybe you can at least show me?”

But Sora shook his head. “Not really… And uh, I think I’m not supposed to be using that Power of Waking thing that much, anyway. What do you need it for? Don’t tell me you want to become a keyblade wielder, too?!” He looked downright shocked.

Lauriam refused to admit that the boy’s comment felt like a stab through his heart. Admittedly, the last time he’d held a keyblade had been in a life long forgotten, but he’d been every bit the wielder Sora was, and more. “I probably have far more experience with a keyblade than you do. There is someone I need to bring back.”

“Someone you need to…” Sora tilted his head to the side. “Wait, you said your name’s Lauriam now, right? I think I met someone waiting for you!”

Lauriam’s calm demeanor disappeared in the blink of an eye. He took a step towards Sora and grabbed his shoulders. “You met her? You met Strelitzia? Where?!”

“In the Final World!” Startled, Sora tried to pull away, but Lauriam’s grip was too strong. “I don’t know if it was her, she didn’t tell me her name, she just said she was waiting for a Lauriam!”

Lauriam took a deep breath and slowly removed his hands, allowing the boy to take a step back. “I apologize. She’s been waiting for so long already…” The last sentence was muttered more to himself than to Sora. If he hadn’t forgotten, could he have gotten her back already? If he hadn’t joined the Organization… Or even before that, if he’d spent more time trying to find her when he’d still been a wielder…

“No problem, but… Can you even still use your keyblade? I’ve never seen you with one.”

Lauriam closed his eyes and concentrated. Nothing. Not like that was unexpected; ever since he’d remembered, he’d tried, time and time again. He knew how it should work, had done it countless times before, but to no avail. It seemed almost as if his keyblade rejected him now.

What a sorry excuse for a brother.

“I don’t think you can use the Power of Waking without a keyblade… And I can’t look for someone I don’t know. Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” It wasn’t Sora who’d forgotten her, who’d left her waiting all these years. It was Lauriam, and thus it was his fault alone. “Thank you anyway, Sora.”

“Uh, sure, no problem.” The boy cocked his head to the side as he watched Lauriam leave.

 

As soon as Lauriam was outside the city limits, away from curious eyes and ears, his demeanor crumbled.

“Why?!” He tried and failed to hold back the tears that were now streaming down his face. “Why won’t you come, damn blade! I need you to save her!” Lauriam picked up a rock and threw it as far away as he could.

Of course, it had to hit the only strelitzia plant he’d seen in Radiant Garden until now. Lauriam let out a defeated sigh as he walked over to it. Could this be any more metaphorical?

The plant was still young, not quite reaching Lauriam’s waist yet. Probably its first blossoms, too, if he had to guess. Of course the rock hadn’t actually hurt it, but even so Lauriam felt a twinge of guilt looking down at the stone next to it.

“I’m sorry, little one.” Gently, he held one of the flowers in his hand. Strelitzia juncea. That had always been his favorite; not as flashy as reginae or as tall as its other cousins, but juncea had its very own charm.

He let go of the plant and sat down next to it, the blossoms at eye level now. Strelitzia had never cared much for the flowers she’d gotten her name from. White roses or cherry blossoms, those had been her favorites. But given the choice, Lauriam would always pick strelitzia juncea, even when he was left with neither a Heart nor any memories of what was most precious to him.

“Why did I have to forget her?” He could hear his own voice crack. At least there was nobody around to listen, nobody except for the flowers. “If I’d just remembered… Maybe I could still use my keyblade if I’d known back then, if I’d never joined the organization. Maybe then I could have helped her…”

Lauriam clenched his fists as his tears watered the ground.

“She’s been waiting for all this time. Holding on, and I… I let her down.”

He stood up and turned around. Seeing the strelitzia made him feel so much worse.

And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. As much as being near it hurt, the thought of being apart from it felt unbearable.

So he sat down again, with his back turned towards the flower. With nothing to focus on, Lauriam just hung his head. “Would she even want to see me if she knew what I’ve done?”

He had to get her back, no matter what. But if he did, once Strelitzia learned about his past… He’d lose her again. But at least then she’d be alive, even if she wanted nothing to do with him. She’d be safe and sound.

He wasn’t the brother she remembered anymore. “She won’t even believe them at first…”

But eventually, she’d understand they were telling the truth. That he’d given up his Heart, how cruel he’d been to Sora and Naminé, his role in the second keyblade war.

Just more and more ways he’d let her down.

He hadn’t protected her. He hadn’t found a way to bring her back when he’d still been a Union Leader. He’d forgotten her for far too long. He’d been cruel and uncaring.

And yet, Strelitzia hadn’t lost her trust in him, had waited for him all this time. “What did I do to deserve such a sister?”

The faintest of smiles crept on his tear-stained face. Strelitzia wasn’t the only one in for a surprise. None of the others would believe they were related. But they’d welcome her with welcome arms, at least of that Lauriam could be certain.

But how had Lauriam repaid his sister’s trust? He was back at square one, with no idea how to bring her back into this world. Neither he nor Elrena could use their keyblades, and none of the wielders had known her.

Maybe if he found a way to the Final World… But dying was far too risky. If he died permanently, Strelitzia would be lost, too.

The only other person who’d been to the Final World and back, as far as Lauriam knew, was Naminé.

“I haven’t talked to her since she’s come back… But…” Lauriam slowly turned back around to face the flower. “I will for you, Strelitzia.” He reached out until his fingertips ever-so-gently brushed against the blossom. “I will bring you back. I promise.”

One last tear fell as Lauriam pushed himself back up to his feet. He wiped away the tears, brushed the dirt off his pants, and set out back to the city.

By the time he reached its gates, the only hint left were Lauriam’s slightly reddened eyes, noticeable only by the keenest observers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cry so often about Laurie and Streli T-T Siblings just mess me up.  
> The first 5 chapters are already written, and I think I'll finish with 6-7 chapters. Since the 6th isn't written yet, I'm not sure if it'll have MarLar elements, but it's definitely a possibility. ~~I write my OTP way too rarely~~


	2. Seeds

Lauriam raised his hand in front of Naminé’s door, but hesitated.

She’d been living here for a while now; first to ascertain there were no complications with her replica, but by now she had simply become accustomed to the life here and neither desire nor reason to leave.

Do it. For Strelitzia.

Lauriam knocked.

“Come in!” Naminé’s voice answered from inside.

Lauriam pushed the door open. “Naminé.”

The girl stiffened when she saw him. Not that Lauriam could blame her; he was impressed she didn’t just tell him to get out. Then again, she was rarely confrontational.

Trying not to scare her even more, he stayed near the door instead of coming closer. “I apologize for the interruption. I wanted to talk to you about the Final World.”

“What about it?” Naminé’s voice didn’t tremble, no matter how scared she might be. She’d always been strong. In the past, she might’ve become a keyblade wielder herself, though Lauriam doubted she would have wanted to.

“Whatever you can tell me. Mainly how to get there or if you’ve talked to anyone other than Sora while you were there.” He would have kept eye contact with Naminé if she hadn’t averted her gaze.

She’d never quite looked him in the eye back in Castle Oblivion, either, And she probably still saw Marluxia in him, even now.

Who was to say she was wrong?

“I only went there because of what happened to Kairi. And… I’m sorry, the memories about it are hazy. I could sense other people like me, who were holding on, but I only talked to Sora.” She looked like she was expecting Lauriam to keep asking, or punish her for not being able to say more.

He lowered his eyes to the floor, focusing on the same spot Naminé had been looking at their entire conversation. Part of him wanted to make excuses for his past behavior, blame it on his lack of Heart, but what would that change?

“I did notice someone else talking to Sora, though. Senses work… Differently there, so I couldn’t exactly see or hear them, but I think they called themself Chirithy.”

Lauriam’s eyes instantly snapped back to Naminé. He’d already accepted that the Chirithies were gone, but did that mean that at least one was still around, more or less at least? “Do you know anything else about Chirithy?”

Naminé shook her head. “No, I’m sorry.” She looked like she wanted to put even more distance between herself and Lauriam, but they already were in opposite corners of the room; inwardly, he cursed his intense tone of voice.

Lauriam nodded. “All right. Thank you, Naminé.” She looked up, eyes wide with surprise, but he was already turning around to leave. No need to startle the girl any more.

 

Whose Chirithy had Naminé sensed?  When a wielder died, their Chirithy was supposed to die with them; then again, being in the Final World usually meant being dead, just holding on. Still, it was unlikely a Chirithy could remain even there if its wielder passed on. That left the wielders who were still alive, like him and Elrena. And Strelitzia, if her holding on had allowed her Chirithy to do the same.

“You’re hard to find.” Elrena’s voice ripped Lauriam from his thoughts. “No luck?”

Lauriam sighed. “No.”

Elrena turned around and motioned for him to follow. “You know, it might be faster if you weren’t too stubborn to ask for help.”

“I am asking for help.” Lauriam looked over to her, just as Elrena brought the palm of her hand to her face.

“You’ve been like that even back then. I mean people who aren’t directly linked to it, genius.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re not asking for help, you’re asking for information. Which would go faster if there was more than one person looking for it.”

But Lauriam slowly shook his head. “This is a personal matter.”

Elrena shot him a glare. “Okay, first of all, I knew Strelitzia, too. Second, I’ve let that old geezer take out my damn Heart to follow you, so I’m pretty sure we’re past the whole ‘it’s personal’ thing. Besides, I got nothing better to do, anyway, so you might as well let me help.”

“All right then.” The hint of a smile showed on Lauriam’s face. “Thank you.”

Part of him wondered what the Lauriam of old would have done, or how the Elrena from that time would have reacted. There were similarities between those people and Marluxia and Larxene, but more than a few differences, too. Sometimes, he was still trying to figure out how much of whom was left, and so was Elrena. And that was before considering the time under Xehanort’s thrall; how many of their actions, their thoughts, had been his influence? What had come from within?

All in all, it was strangely comforting to be in the company of someone going through the same thing, trying on personalities to see what fit.

And in the end, Lauriam had to agree. Working together would be quicker, and Strelitzia had waited long enough already. “Do you have any idea where to start?”

“Sure do.” Elrena grinned. “While you’ve been sitting with your flowers and crying, I’ve kept my ears open. Heard about some strange new creature, similar to a talking cat walking on its hind legs.”

“A Chirithy. Who did you hear it from? Naminé told me she’d sensed one in the Final World.” He shook his head. “Which isn’t helpful, considering we don’t have a reliable way there and back.”

“Well, it’s not in the Final World.” Those were interesting news. “It’s neither of ours, though.” Elrena’s voice betrayed just a hint of sadness—but from her, that was a clear sign how much she missed her little companion. Of course they’d tried calling their Chirithies once they’d remembered, but just like their keyblades, they never showed. “It’s Ventus’s, at least that’s who it’s always with.”

“Hm.” As far as Lauriam knew, Ventus still hadn’t gotten his memories back. “I haven’t seen him since the fights.”

“Well, good thing Sora’s willing to lend us his gummi jet.” They reached the town center, and sure enough, the jet was waiting for them. “Next stop, the Land of Departure. Let’s see if meeting a fellow leader jogs the his memory.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~I guess this has some very implied MarLar if you squint hard enough~~  
>  But regardless of whether they're friends or a couple, they make a great duo imo and I love seeing them together. (I also love Larxene/Elrena in general so there's that.(


	3. Sprouts

Soon, they were standing in front of what used to be Castle Oblivion. To think he’d been so close to a former friend without even knowing… But they weren’t here to reminisce.

Lauriam knocked on the castle gates. The moment dragged on forever, like the last seconds before a long-awaited rain shower, until the doors were finally opened by a blue-haired woman. She’d been one of the seven lights; what was her name again? Aqua?

“Yes?” She seemed wary; understandable, considering the last time they’d met, they’d been enemies.

“We’d like to talk to Ventus—or rather, to Chirithy, if we may. It’s about someone dear to me.” Lauriam was trying to be perfectly polite; he knew that normally opened more doors than rudeness.

Aqua looked them over, then stepped aside to let them in. “How do you think they can help?”

But before either of them could answer, Ventus came down the stairs, Chirithy following behind. Seeing them felt like a stab through the heart for Lauriam, and Elrena tensing next to him told him it was the same for her.

“Lauriam!” Chirithy overtook its wielder, stopping just before the two visitors. The spirit hadn’t changed at all.

Lauriam crouched down so he wouldn’t tower over it quite as much. “It’s been a while, Chirithy.”

By now, Ventus had reached them as well, standing by the woman’s side. “You know them, Chirithy?”

Lauriam looked from Chirithy to Ventus and back. “Does he know?” When Chirithy shook its head, he addressed Ventus again. “In a way, but the last time we met was long ago—before the Organization.”

Ventus tilted his head to the side. “And that means what?”

“I’ll explain later, okay?” Chirithy went back over to Ventus, who picked it up.

“Now, what brings you here?” Aqua asked.

Elrena crossed her arms. “We told you, we want to talk to Chirithy.”

“But why?” Ventus’s arms slightly tightened around his companion.

Of course, Lauriam couldn’t blame him; even if Ventus had still remembered the past, the memories of the battle were far more recent. Still, seeing his friend so distrustful hurt.

“It’s about a place called the Final World,” Lauriam explained. He could see Chirithy’s ears perk up. “There is… Someone there I care about, and I’m trying to find a way to get her back.”

Aqua’s expression softened a little when Elrena put a hand on his shoulder.

Ventus considered it for a moment, then nodded. He put Chirithy back down to the ground, where it padded over to Lauriam and Elrena. It tilted its head to the side. “You’re talking about Strelitzia, right?”

“Yes. Have you seen her?”

Chirithy nodded. “Uh-huh. She was still holding on when I left.”

Waiting for her brother to save her. A brother who hadn’t even known she’d existed until recently. Still, he felt a small wave of relief wash over him. As long as she held on, he had a chance to bring her back. “Can you take me to her? Or tell me how to get her here?”

“Well… There is a way, but…” Chirithy’s ears twitched. “It’s dangerous.”

“What is the way?” He hadn’t expected it to be easy, and he’d been in his fair share of dangerous situations already; what was one more if it meant Strelitzia safe?

“Um… If we get you to meet her, or at least close enough to her, you might be able to drag her Heart back with you.”

“Which means I’d have to get to the Final World.” But how? If he knew a way, he’d have gone already.

But Chirithy shook its head. “You could probably get close enough while you’re sleeping, if you get right to the edge between the two realms. I can bring you there, I think, and once there you should be able to connect your Heart with hers. Then, when you wake up, she’ll come with you.”

“And what’s the dangerous part?” Elrena’s gaze was piercing, especially considering how she normally acted around a Chirithy.

Chirithy took a small step back, shifting from one paw to the other. “He’d be right at the border between sleep and death. It’s possible that Strelitzia’s Heart ends up dragging Lauriam’s over to the Final World instead of the other way around.”

Well, at least they had a plan. Lauriam just needed to stay on the right side of that border. “I’m assuming Strelitzia will need a body waiting for her?”

Chirithy nodded.

“Then I will speak with Even. Thank you, Chirithy. We’ll come back once the replica for her is finished.” He gave the spirit a little smile.

“You could write us first.” Aqua grabbed a pen and some paper and quickly wrote down her number.

Lauriam took it and bowed his head. “Thank you, and thank you for listening to us.”

Elrena just raised her hand. “Bye.”

 

“Are you sure about it?” Elrena had her feet propped up on the dash while Lauriam was piloting.

“Strelitzia’s been waiting for long enough already. I finally have a way to bring her back; I won’t pass up on that chance.”

“Figures.” She sighed and put her feet back on the ground. “Guess I’ll come with you, then. Drag you back if you start dying.”

A small smirk spread on Lauriam’s face. “Are you that worried about me, Elrena?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” She scoffed. “But our former comrades aren’t exactly fond of me, and the others don’t trust me, so… You’re the only one who isn’t too terrible to be around.”

“Coming from you, that _is_ flattering.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elrena, internally:"Ugh, great now I have to make sure that damn fool doesn't go dying on me." (I love her and she's fun to write)


	4. Growth

The thought of meeting Even felt more than a little awkward, and Lauriam found himself hesitating in front of his lab door. They hadn’t exactly gotten along in the original Organization—even before Castle Oblivion—and during their time in the New Organization, they’d mostly steered clear of each other.

But this wasn’t the time to dwell on the past, so Lauriam knocked on the door.

“Yes?”

The voice sounded almost like Vexen’s, but only almost.

Lauriam opened the door and stepped inside, trying to ignore the surprise on Even’s face. “Hello, Even. I’ve come to ask for your help.”

There was a short pause before Even answered. “What do you need?”

“A replica, to serve as the body for someone dear to me.” Lauriam bowed his head a little, not quite a nod, to acknowledge Even’s decision to put their history behind them.

Even nodded. “That is something I can help with. The necessary research has already been done, so it won’t take long to complete the body; do you have a way of bringing her Heart close enough to it?”

“I do.” As long as he didn’t die trying, that was.

“Very well. If you leave your number, I will inform you once the replica is complete.” Even handed Lauriam a pen and a piece of paper.

Lauriam quickly wrote down his number. “Thank you, Even.” He handed the pen and number back. “I hope to hear from you soon.”

Even just waved him away, already starting to get lost in his work again, so Lauriam stepped out to give him some space.

 

Now all he could do was wait. It wouldn’t help to try reaching Strelitzia’s Heart before her body was ready; while it might fuse with Lauriam’s Heart, like what had happened to Sora, that was too much of a risk. A rogue Heart would be welcome fodder for the Darkness, and the last thing Lauriam wanted was to turn his sister into a Heartless.

He didn’t even notice that his feet were leading him out of the town, back to the strelitzia plant.

Its blossoms looked slightly more mature now, Lauriam noticed as he sat down in front of it.

“You won’t have to wait much longer.” His voice was barely more than a whisper. “I’m sorry it took this long. You deserved better.”

Gently, Lauriam let his fingertips brush over one of the blossoms. “But it shouldn’t be more than a few days. I’ll see you soon.”

The first tear rolled over his cheek.

Then Lauriam noticed the sound of footsteps nearby and hurriedly wiped his eyes and cheeks with his sleeve.

“Relax, it’s just me.” Elrena let herself fall down next to him. For a moment, the wind blowing over the grass was the only sound. “Do you think she’ll remember me?”

Lauriam took his eyes off the flower to look at her. “Probably. She’s talked a lot about you, so even if you weren’t quite friends, you were important to her.”

“Huh.” Elrena took a moment to stretch. “So, how long until Even’s done with the body?”

“He didn’t give an exact date. All he told me was that it wouldn’t take long.”

“And then we grab Chirithy and dream you little sister back.” Elrena grinned, but it was only a moment before that smile faded. “Do you think the other Chirithies are around somewhere, too?”

“I don’t know.” Since he’d gotten his memories back, Lauriam occasionally caught himself wondering when his little companion would show itself again, just to remember that it most likely wouldn’t. “It’s been said a Chirithy dies with its wielder. Ventus never actually died, as far as I know, but we did.”

Elrena shook her head. “Yeah, but we didn’t really die either, we’re still around. Didn’t Sora have to get Ventus’s Heart back after the geezer’s attack? If that death doesn’t count, why should ours?”

“What Sora did amounted to a reset. He came back just before the attack, overwriting everyone’s deaths so they never happened. No one did that for us.”

“Ugh, stop being so negative!” She pushed Lauriam away—as much as that was possible with both of them sitting on the ground—and stood up. She didn’t even pause before walking away.

“I’m sorry.” Lauriam didn’t raise his voice, but it was enough to make Elrena stop for a moment. Not enough to make her turn around, though. “I know how much you miss your Chirithy.”

Elrena scoffed and resumed walking.

She’d calm down after a while, and Lauriam knew she wouldn’t appreciate him following her, so he just stayed by the strelitzia.

“It seems like I continue making mistakes,” he told the flower. “I hope I won’t make any more with you, Strelitzia. Even if the day you come back will be the last time you want to see me. I only need to know you safe.”

At least the tears had stopped now. If Lauriam had known how to prepare for this kind of mission, he’d do so, but it wasn’t exactly what he was used to. Would it help to be well rested? Or would that hinder their efforts, considering he’d need to fall asleep? What should they expect to find once they were in the realm of sleep?

There were too many questions and not nearly enough answers. In the end, he’d just have to hope for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, those last two sentences pretty much describe KH in general. ~~And I wouldn't have it any other way~~


	5. Budding

The following days felt like torture. Knowing how close he was made every second feel three times as long; it took Lauriam every bit of patience he had—and the knowledge doing so would only prolong the wait—to refrain from constantly questioning Even about his progress.

Then, finally, a message.

“It’s finished.”

The next couple of moments were a haze. He sent a text to Elrena, another one to Aqua. Their replies were almost the same: “Coming” and “We’re on our way.”

Lauriam ran the entire way to the castle, not even stopping to greet Aeleus and Dilan as they opened the gate, barely even nodding towards Elrena as he rushed past her into the lab, not bothering to knock.

If Even was startled, he didn’t show it. “It’s on the table.”

Lauriam looked down at the replica, just an empty puppet right now. But not for long. It seemed surprisingly fragile, like he needed to handle it carefully lest he break it; or maybe he just felt this way because it was going to host his sister.

Even waited a moment before he resumed talking. “There shouldn’t be any complications, but you should bring her to me during the first few days just in case.”

As gently as he could, Lauriam picked up the replica. Knowing Even’s work, it was probably sturdier than it looked, but he wasn’t about to take any chances.

“Guess we’ll be flying to the Land of Departure now?” Elrena was looking at the replica as well, though she didn’t seem quite as worried about it.

Lauriam shook his head. “They’ll come here.”

“Then we should head back to the town center.” Elrena opened the door and stepped outside.

“Thank you again, Even.” Lauriam followed her out, cradling the replica like a child. What would Strelitzia look like when she came back? Would she have aged at all? Would her time in the Final World have changed her?

They drew some confused looks as they walked through the town, but Lauriam had never cared less. Part of him wanted to run to the center, but he knew that wouldn’t bring Chirithy to Radiant Garden any sooner.

Luckily, they didn’t have to wait for long. A pang of envy shot through Lauriam when he saw Aqua, Terra and Ventus on their keyblade gliders; judging by how she tensed up and clenched her fists, Elrena felt just the same. But there were more important things to focus on now.

“Thank you for coming.” Lauriam bowed his head a little.

“So, Chirithy, what’s the best way to do this?” Elrena didn’t waste any time on pleasantries; still, her voice sounded a bit gentler than it did with normal strangers.

“It would be easiest at a place that reminds you of her,” Chirithy explained as it walked over to them. Then it looked back at Ventus. “You can wait in the castle, I’ll come back once we’re done.”

Ventus took a moment to look Lauriam over. Once upon a time, things would’ve been different, and he wouldn’t have worried. He would have trusted Lauriam without questions. But that was nothing but memories of a different life.

“All right, we’ll wait for you.” Ventus turned towards the castle, followed by Terra and Aqua.

The second Ventus agreed, Lauriam was turning around, not even waiting for Ventus to finish the sentence. Elrena hesitated for a second, then picked up Chirithy and followed; they’d be quicker this way.

 

It didn’t take long until they reached the meadow. Lauriam laid the replica in the grass right next to the flower—gently, almost scared of making one wrong move and damaging it.

“What should we do now?” He looked at Chirithy, who’d been set down on the ground again.

“You’ll need to fall asleep! I’ll join you and bring you to the edge of the Final World.”

“And if I want to come along?” Of course Elrena wasn’t going to let Lauriam go alone. Not that he minded; it’d just mean a higher chance of bringing Strelitzia back.

Chirithy padded over to Lauriam, who was already getting settled on the ground. “I can bring both of you. It’ll be easier if you touch or hold hands, though. Oh, and I can help you fall asleep, so don’t worry about that!”

Elrena nodded and lay down next to Lauriam, close enough that their shoulders touched when she grabbed his hand.

Lauriam felt sleep take over as soon as he closed his eyes.

 

The place they arrived at was… strange. It was hard to focus on anything, as if everything around them was constantly changing in both shape and color. Everything except for Chirithy, Elrena, and Lauriam.

“This way!” Chirithy took the lead. It was obvious this was its realm; instead of having to slow down, now Lauriam and Elrena almost had trouble keeping up. Had it been up to Lauriam, though, they would’ve travelled even faster.

“We’re here.” Chirithy finally stopped in front of something that, for lack of a better description, looked like an invisible wall. Patches of air were flickering, but more than anything visual, Lauriam simply sensed that this was as far as he should go. “Call out to her.”

Lauriam stepped as close to the wall as he dared, every instinct yelling at him to turn back. “Strelitzia?” He felt Elrena’s eyes on him. Louder. “Strelitzia!”

It wasn’t a reply per se, but Lauriam knew he’d been heard. “Strelitzia, I’m here!” He couldn’t stop the tears from flowing again, couldn’t even try. “Come back with me! Come home!”

He felt an odd kind of pull from the other side, like something had attached itself to him. That had to mean Strelitzia was trying to get to him, trying to cross the wall. “I’ll bring you back, Strelitzia, I promise!”

The pull was getting stronger. Lauriam felt himself stumble half a step forward, all his focus now on the pull and the wall. He leaned back, steadying himself, but a sudden tug made him move even further forward. By now, he was less than an inch away from the wall.

Maybe it’d be easier if he crossed and personally brought her back to this side.

But he’d barely lifted his foot off the ground when someone grabbed his arm and yanked him back. “Don’t you dare,” Elrena hissed.

There was another tug, even stronger, then the pull stopped, leaving Lauriam feeling no different from before. Did it work? Or did Strelitzia give up? Maybe she hadn’t made it, and Lauriam should try again.

Chirithy looked at him for a moment. “I’ll wake you up now!” It jumped in the air, hovering between Lauriam and Elrena as it put a paw on each of their arms. “If it worked, you’ll see her as soon as you wake up!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Elrena:"Great I really did have to save this idiot's life.")  
>  ~~I love them together so much I should write some MarLar fanfic once this one's taken care of xD~~


	6. Blooming

Back in the world of the living and awake, Lauriam scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could, looking around for the replica, hoping it wasn’t an empty puppet anymore.

“Strelitzia?” He could hear his voice break, but for once, he didn’t care. Not about that, not about the tears rolling down his face, not about the fact that others could see him.

It took him a few seconds longer to understand that the girl in front of him was really, truly his little sister, looking just as she had the last time he’d seen her. Then, Lauriam fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around her.

But Strelitzia pulled back, looking down at the man in front of him.

Lauriam didn’t know how to react. Why? Did she know what happened? What he’d done? All he could do was look up at his little sister, feeling like her eyes were piercing his soul.

Until she finally spoke. “L-Lauriam…?”

Not even a heartbeat later, she’d wrapped her own arms around her brother’s neck, her legs giving way under her. Lauriam caught her and held her close, both of them crying now.

She was there. She was back. She didn’t hate him—not yet, at least. She was alive.

 

Lauriam had no idea how long they’d stayed this way when they slowly let go, hesitant, as if it might mean losing each other again. One of his hands stayed on Strelitzia’s shoulder, though he couldn’t say who he wanted to reassure with that.

“What happened after I… While I was gone?”

Lauriam pushed himself back to his feet. “That’s a long story.” At least he had his composure back, for the most part, anyway. “Let’s take you home first, let you rest for a while.” It was kind of strange, looking down at his sister like that. She’d always been smaller than him, but he’d grown a lot since the old days.

Strelitzia nodded. “All right.”

She took a moment to look around, her eyes stopping at the other woman. Strelitzia tilted her head to the side; Lauriam could tell she almost remembered, but wasn’t quite sure. Elrena was just about to open her mouth when Strelitzia spoke again. “Elrena…?” She looked from one to the other.

But Lauriam shook his head. “Later. First, let’s go home.”

He wrapped one arm protectively around his little sister’s shoulders—he wasn’t exactly sure what he felt he needed to protect her from, but he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, not again.

Elrena picked up Chirithy and followed behind, though she stopped after a few steps to look back at the plant for a moment before catching up again.

 

The goodbyes with Ventus’s group were swift; Lauriam waved off the curious questions, in a hurry to return home. Much had happened since the age of fairy tales, so there was a lot to explain to Strelitzia—how the world had changed, how they’d finally gotten her back, and sadly, what he had done. As much as he’d love to keep it secret, she’d find out eventually. Better, then, to get through it as quickly as he could.

Once he was done, Lauriam stood up to leave; surely Strelitzia would need some time to understand, and he wanted to give her the opportunity to leave without having to justify her decision.

But he’d barely taken a step when she grabbed his sleeve. “Don’t leave.”

Lauriam was stunned, but Elrena just snickered. “You know, I could’ve told you, but I figured you wouldn’t believe me.”

“I thought after what I did, you…” Lauriam looked down to the floor and shook his head. “I thought you’d want to stay away from me.”

Strelitzia’s grip loosened. Lauriam had been right, then; but as long as he knew she was safe, he could accept not seeing her again. However, not even a second later Strelitzia shook her head and tried to pull him a little closer to her. “I can’t say I don’t care, but I know you regret it, and you’re my brother. And Elrena, you’re my friend, of course I still want to be with you two!”

Instead of replying, Lauriam pulled his sister close and wrapped his arms around her. This was better than anything he could’ve hoped for.

Elrena pushed herself away from the wall and came over to ruffle Strelitzia’s hair. “Thanks kid.”

“But, Lauriam?” He let go of her, waiting for her to keep speaking. “Where are the other Chirithies? I thought mine would appear together with me, but it didn’t, and yours and Elrena’s aren’t here, either.”

Lauriam exchanged a look with Elrena. She’d stiffened a little and crossed her arms. “They’re… Gone, as far as we know. Ours are, at least, and so are our keyblades.”

For a second, Strelitzia looked scared; a bright light shone from her hand as she summoned her keyblade. At least she still had hers; while Lauriam didn’t like the idea of his little sister going on missions, at least she wouldn’t be defenseless.

Strelitzia let her keyblade disappear again. “Maybe yours will come back eventually.”

Elrena just scoffed. “I wish. No idea what made us lose them, but I’m pretty sure they don’t want us back at this point.”

“But… You were a Dandelion, and one of the best wielders I knew!” She looked at Lauriam. “So were you!”

“And then we gave away our Hearts, twice”, he reminded her. “Caused many to fall to Darkness, forgot all we’d been taught. We can’t turn back time, little one, so there’s no use in dwelling on what we’ve lost. I’ve got you back, and that’s worth more than any keyblade.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The siblings are reunited!! :D  
> I just really need happy sibling interactions, sibling angst hurts. I love drama and all, but... I also love happy ends<3


	7. Harvest

Strelitzia had been back for a few weeks now, but Lauriam still had trouble believing this was not a dream. Just as he expected, both Sora’s group and Radiant Garden’s inhabitants immediately took to her; and while he hated letting her out of his sight, he knew she’d be safe here. He couldn’t accompany her everywhere, after all.

But despite the warm welcome, it always seemed like something was missing. Lauriam could tell by the way Strelitzia sometimes looked around like she was searching for something, how she glanced at the floor by her side as if expecting a comment from there. She’d get used to being without her Chirithy, as Lauriam and Elrena had, but they all wished to see their little companions again.

Still, this was the best outcome Lauriam could have hoped for. Strelitzia was back, she still wanted to spend time with him, and she had quickly made friends with the others in Radiant Garden. This was as close to perfect as he was going to get.

 

They were just about to return to the city when a sudden rustling caught Lauriam’s attention. Radiant Garden hadn’t had a problem with Heartless in a long time, but one could never be too sure, not with them. And while he might not have his keyblade, he had more than enough other ways to protect his sister.

Without hesitation, he pushed Strelitzia behind himself, ready to summon his scythe to fight whatever might come. By his side, Elrena readied herself as well. A light shone in their hands just as their opponent jumped out of the bush.

Two things left Lauriam stunned. First, those were the farthest thing from opponents; the beings jumping out of the bush turned out to be three small, cat-like beings.

And secondly, as he noticed when he lowered his scythe, was that the thing in his hand was not his Graceful Dahlia. A look over to Elrena confirmed it; both of them were holding rather oversized keys instead of their usual weapons.

There was a moment of silence as the wielders and the Chirithies stared at each other, the humans too stunned to react, the spirits perhaps a little wary of the weapons that had been pointed at them just a moment before.

Elrena’s Chirithy was the first to break the silence. “Come on Elrena, you know better than that.”

Its words ripped the wielders from their stupor, allowing Lauriam and Elrena to let their keyblades disappear. “You’re back…?” Elrena asked, still unsure whether she could truly believe it.

Her Chirithy did a small pirouette. “Seems that way.”

“You’ve grown, Laurie.” Lauriam’s own Chirithy tilted its head to the side and gave him a smile.

The third of their group, Strelitzia’s Chirithy, looked at its two companions, then dropped on all fours so it could run to its wielder just that bit faster. For such a small creature, it managed a rather impressive jump, landing right in Strelitzia’s arms. “I missed you!”

“I missed you, too.” A small tear escaped Strelitzia’s eye as she held her Chirithy close.

Now, the other two hurried over to their own wielders as well. Elrena’s jumped with enough force to knock her over, sending both of them tumbling to the ground laughing.

“Come on, you know you shouldn’t do that!” Still grinning, Elrena pushed the Chirithy off her, but it just jumped right back on her chest.

“Admit it, you missed me, too!”

Elrena wrapped her arms around the little spirit and sat back up. “Of course I did, dummy.”

Lauriam’s Chirithy stopped just in front of him, waiting for Lauriam to pick it up. “Welcome back.” He held his old friend in his arms for a moment before lifting it a little higher, allowing the Chirithy to climb to its favorite place on Lauriam’s shoulder.

“It’s good to be back.” Chirithy nuzzled its cheek to Lauriam’s for a moment before looking around. “Wow, you’ve _really_ gotten tall!”

“I suppose so.” Lauriam chuckled as he gently petted his companion before looking over at the two girls. “Come, let’s show them around. I think there are a lot of places in Radiant Garden they’d love to see.”

Of course, there were more than a few questions Lauriam would love to ask the Chirithies, but those could wait. For now, all he wanted was to spend some time with an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KITTIES!!  
> Would the last chapter's ending _probably_ habe been an "objectively" better ending (as objective as this kind of stuff can get, anyway)? Probably yes. Do I care? Definitely no. You can take my sappy, sugary, 120% happy endings out of my cold, dead hands. (Sometimes, at least. Sometimes I like angst and bad or bittersweet endings, but... Most times, I'm very attached to having everyone be happy in the end.)


End file.
